Reactions
by Wandering Letters
Summary: A remix of Season One. What if Lee didn't look at Kenny and reacted in time to save Carley? How would things have changed? People have reactions for everything, no matter the situation and for Lee Everett, it decides much more than just the day. Rated T for language. CarLee with some good old LeeClem fluff. Tried to keep the scenes as close to the game as I could.
1. Protective

**(A/N): So I actually played through all of the Telltale games this month and I ended up getting inspired to write a few, making me enter yet another fandom.**

 **I'm pretty sure a lot of you guys wondered what would've happened if Carley didn't die in Season One so here I am to remix that scene a little bit so it has a more...favorable outcome. So this story will hopefully accomplish two things:**

 **1) Remix the scene in a relatively realistic way to allow Carley to survive.**

 **2) Address the tension between Carley and Lee, because I'm very sure that we all knew something was gonna happen between em if Telltale didn't kill her off.**

 **Hope you guys like it!**

 **And also, just thought I'd throw this out there as well to see if you guys are interested. I've been working with some of my cousins on an idea for a "season" similar to what Telltale does, obviously in fanfiction form. If you guys would be interested in seeing something like that, let me know in a private message. We'll have to construct a cast, but I'm sure we can work it all out with some time and communication!**

 **Anywho, let's hop to it!**

* * *

 _ **Protective Reactions**_

 _ **...**_

"Kenny, the RV has some surface damage but there's a walker trapped underneath," said Lilly.

She rose back to her feet as the RV door opened. I sighed deeply at the thought of yet another delay. Kenny moved to the front of the RV.

"Goddamn it...everyone keep your eyes peeled," said Kenny.

Lilly approached the group of us, her eyes now plastered onto Ben who I was sure at this point was so scared his spirit would jump out his body and run away.

"You know what, we shouldn't just kick you out, we should hear what everybody thinks," said Lilly.

Ben shook his head, still scared shitless of what happened earlier.

"I think you should chill out!" shouted Ben.  
"I'm not gonna take this, you can push Ben around but you can't push me around!" snapped Carley.

She looked at Lilly angrily, still not amused at the position she was taking as if she held some kind of power over the group. I personally didn't like it one bit either, but the problem still stands that we lost the Motor Inn thanks to someone betraying us. Then again, for all I know it could've just been one particularly sneaky bastard. I knew that Lilly wasn't far off from doing something stupid, so I stood protectively in front of them both.

"There's no way it was Carley...it was somebody else, it could've even been someone sneaking into our camp!" I said.

Lilly scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"That's ridiculous, is that what you think?" she growled.  
"Yes," I replied firmly.

Lilly sighed.

"Okay fine then, Kenny?" she announced.

I looked to see that Kenny was still trying to deal with the walker that was stuck under the RV.

"I don't know! Fuck! Just stop would ya!" he replied.  
"Well, your vote counts for you and Katjaa," said Lilly as she folded her arms.

Ben continued to degenerate into a nervous wreck.

"We don't need all these VOTES! What do I have to do for you to trust me? I'll do ANYTHING!" he screamed.

I began to feel fed up with Ben's annoying attitude; he was supposed to be setting an example for Clem and Duck and here he is being a complete wuss.

"Stop panicking. Seriously Ben, you need to stop and just take a breath." I scolded.

Lilly turned to me before extending her hand towards Ben.

"Do we need anymore evidence than this?!" she growled.  
"Fuck EVIDENCE. Stop treating him like this!" snapped Carley.

I could tell how irritated Carley was getting; she was never much of a fan of Lilly's leadership because of how one-sided it was towards Larry. Out of everyone else here, I think she had the most right to be annoyed considering all she's done for us. Carley saved my skin so many times, not to mention she's been probably the most valuable person to have on watch considering how handy she is with a gun. After everything she's done, Lilly was still being the irrational tyrant that she's always been.

"Shut up Carley! Ugh! I've heard enough out of you!" she growled.

She turned back towards Kenny, who was still trying to get the RV clear.

"Kenny! What's it gonna be?" she shouted.

Kenny didn't even stand up to show that he was paying attention.

"Just gimme a damn minute!" he shouted.

Lilly's angry eyes once again hovered over Ben.

"Ben, you have until that walker is dealt with to tell me it was her and not you," she ordered.

Carley stood her ground, standing next to Ben with an angry look on her face.

"Stop this! You're torturing him!" she cried.

Wanting nothing more to come from this, especially something bad, I immediately spoke up.

"I did it!" I said.

Lilly turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she said.  
"Yeah, it was me. That get you to lay off the kid?" I replied.

Anger continued to boil in her eyes.

"I think you're capable of being a real piece of shit, but I know it wasn't you. Not with her in your life." she said.

She turned to Clem, who had come out of the RV and was now standing on the steps. I heard something dislodge from the RV and I smiled when I saw Kenny pull the Walker free of the RV.

"There! I got em!" he announced.

Ben shook his head.

"Please...let's just get back in the RV," he begged.  
"That's NOT happening!" growled Lilly.

Carley folded her arms and sternly shook her head.

"You think you're some tough bitch don't you? Like nothing can hurt you, but you're just a scared little girl. Get the fuck over it. Take a page out of Lee's book and try helping somebody for once." she snapped.

Ouch...I could feel the sting of her words but my eyes immediately went to Lilly, who had a look I had never seen before. She was clearly deep in thought. A loud crunch indicated that Kenny had killed the Walker by smashing its skull in with his boot, but I didn't take my eyes off of Lilly considering that angry look I noticed. I then saw her reach behind back, her gaze now fixated on Carley. In the next second, I saw her pull a gun. Everyone else had turned to see what Kenny had done but Lilly continued to stare at Carley, venom now spewing from her eyes as she raised the weapon.

 **NO!**

"Now...what the fuck's the problem?" asked Kenny.

Before she could extend her arm all the way, I immediately grabbed the arm and slammed her against the RV. One arm went to her neck to prevent her from moving and the other slamming her hand violently into the steel. Everyone immediately turned to see what I had done.

 **"DROP IT."** I growled.

"Lee! What the fuck happened?! What's going on!" cried Kenny.  
"She was taking aim at Carley...I saw the killing intent in her face," I replied.

Carley covered her mouth and stepped behind Ben, who was looking on in astonishment. Lilly hesitated for a moment, before she finally dropped the weapon to the ground. I kept her pinned before motioning for someone to pick it up. Carley finally moved and took the gun up before retreating behind Ben.

"Is that true Lilly?" snapped Kenny.

He had an infuriated look on his face, but Lilly didn't say anything in response.

"...If you're willing to kill one of our own, then we can't have you with us," growled Kenny.

I nodded in agreement and released her from the RV.

"You're not coming with us," I said sternly.

Her face went from angry to terrified.

"I'll die out here..." she cried.

As much as I really wanted people to survive with us...she crossed the line. She was no better than the Walkers at this point; she was willing to kill someone despite not having definite proof, not to mention the fact that she kept trying to take control of the whole group as if she were the leader.

"I don't care..." I replied coldly.  
"You were about to kill someone Lilly! Someone who's done nothing to you! You're a murderer!" cried Kenny.

She then turned to me.

"I'm a murderer? You've had Lee with you this whole time," she began.

Typical Lilly, always trying to deflect a blow by using someone else as a scapegoat.

"I don't care what he did before," snapped Kenny.

That face of hers then turned to a horrified one.

"You know?!" she exclaimed.  
"Yeah, he told me, I don't give a shit. If we keep you with us, how long until you try to get me!" cried Kenny.

She then looked at me, her face now looking saddened.

"I was trying to protect all of us! I don't have anything left." she sobbed.

I felt remorse for saying what I did before, but I knew that if she was perfectly willing to kill someone based on a hunch...imagine what she would do if there was actual proof.

Kenny rolled his eyes and looked at me.

"Get in Lee...let's go you guys," he said.

Ben followed Kenny's orders, as did Carley and Clem. I gave Lilly one final look, before turning away from her for the final time.

* * *

The RV was quiet; Ben was sleeping on the right while Carley curled up in the back of the RV, also asleep. I absent-mindedly stared at into space, until I noticed Katjaa's voice.

"Lee? A word please?" said Katjaa.

My mind immediately went to Clementine; she had just witnessed the entire argument and she also understood that we left Lilly behind.

"You okay?" I asked.

Clementine looked up at me, her eyes narrowed.

"Katjaa needs you for something," she said.

Heeding the girl's words, I approached them.

"What's up?" I asked.

I looked down at Katjaa to see her face almost completely drained of color. Kenny's eyes were focused on the road. I then looked down to see Duck in Katjaa's arms...and he didn't look good at all.

"Is...Duck feeling alright?" I asked.

Katjaa responded by lifting Duck's shirt...to reveal a bite mark. The mere sight of it horrified me.

"What the fuck..." I gasped.  
"Happened during the raid," said Kenny.

I shook my head and let out a heavy breath.

"What's the plan? We've never had a bite victim in the group before," I asked.

"I'm going to keep an eye on him and see what I can do from a medical perspective," said Katjaa.

Her words sounded hopeful, but the color of her face indicated that some part of her understood that there was probably nothing she could do to help him now. It was likely her trying to prevent Kenny from going off the deep end that mustered up those words to say.

"We keep the same plan unless something changes. East." said Kenny.

Even though Kenny and I were friends, I still felt I had to be realistic with them. If there's one thing that's certain about this entire ordeal that was certain, it was that we were severely lacking in the luck department.

"Guys-" I began.  
"What else is there to do? We thought you should know," interrupted Katjaa.

I couldn't muster the courage to say anything else.

"Important to stay honest with each other," mused Kenny.

I felt sadness begin to wash over my mood.

"Anyway...if you could tell Clementine, we would appreciate it," said Katjaa.

I turned back to Clementine, seeing that her face was deeply saddened. I approached her and took a deep breath before sitting down next to her. She looked at me for a moment and I held up my hand to allow her to snuggle into my chest. I shook my head, trying to find the words to say to her. I let out a sigh and swallowed hard.

"Duck is bitten," I said.

The girl looked up at me.

"Huh?" she asked.  
"He got bit by a Walker trying to escape the motel,"

She paused for a moment, flinching slightly.

"...I don't feel good," she whispered.

I could tell how conflicted she was; Duck had grown into quite a friend for her, especially since he was the only one even remotely her age among the group.

"...What about Carley?" she asked.

I turned back to see her sleeping form in the back of the RV.

"...I haven't talked to her yet so I'm not sure," I replied.

I was worried about her. I know she's a tough girl, but there's no way she'd be alright knowing that one of the group actually tried to kill her. All she was doing was defending Ben...and Lilly actually found it enough of a reason to kill her.

"...You should check on her...she's really nice," said Clementine.

I nodded, making a mental note to talk to Carley in private once everyone else fell asleep. An awkward silence followed for a few seconds, until my thoughts began to drift to everyone in the RV. Even though we lost Lilly just now...we still had each other. I was glad that everyone else was still here, especially the girl who was laying on my stomach.

"...Today's been horrible," I said.  
"Yeah it is," replied Clem.

I smiled slightly, looking down at her.

"I'm glad I have you," I said.

I could tell there was a smile on the girl's face.

"Me too," she replied.

She took another breath, her hand's grip now tightening a little on my shirt.

"I heard you outside my treehouse that day and I thought about dropping a hammer on your head," she said.

I flinched for a moment.

"What? Why?" I asked.  
"In case you were up to no good," she said.

I smiled and laughed inwardly to myself.

"Before you, there was this other guy. He was yelling and trying to get into my house. He wanted to take the TV and tried to take the glass door with a rock. Then some walkers came and scared him away."

I laughed to myself.

"The door was open,"  
"He was dumb," she replied.

* * *

I woke up suddenly to morning light. I looked around to see that Ben was still asleep along with Katjaa. Kenny was still driving, but didn't seem to notice that I was awake yet. I then looked at Carley to see she was still curled up. I then felt a warmth on my stomach and I smiled at Clementine, who was still sleeping. I gently eased her down and got to my feet.

 _"Guess this is my chance to talk to Carley,"_

I approached her quietly, ensuring I didn't awaken anyone else as I sat down beside her. I gently rubbed her hand and after a few seconds, she finally stirred awake. She looked at me, her eyes slightly red. Clearly she didn't sleep well through the night.

"You alright?" I asked.  
"...All things considering," she said.

She sat up, looking around at the others before letting out a deep breath.

"...I can't stop thinking about Lilly, did we make the right choice in leaving her behind?" she asked.  
"She tried to kill you Carley...who knows what else she would've done if we let her stay," I replied.

She nodded slowly, as if she were hoping to hear something to reaffirm her choice to not dispute it.

"...You saved my life," she said.  
"Don't mention it," I replied with a smile.

Her face softened and before I could say another word, she immediately placed a kiss on my cheek.

"...You're a good man Lee, a hell of a lot better than every other one I've met since this shit started," she said.

Though I was appreciative of her words, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. For some reason, she looked a lot more pretty. She was always a good looking woman and though she was a couple of years younger than me, she didn't seem even remotely immature. In the three months we spent at the motel, I had really grown close to her. She was always there for me, supporting my decisions and always defending me. In fact, she was probably the one who I didn't have any conflict with at all, minus Clementine of course. This was the second kiss she gave me...the first being at the motel when I made the decision to tell everyone that I was a convict. If she didn't encourage me to tell them, I don't think I'd be on this RV right now. I wordlessly squeezed her hand, causing her eyes to look onto mine as if in shock. I didn't give her a chance to say anything before I leaned down and kissed her lips. She didn't object, wrapping her arms around the back of my head and pulling me down on top of her. It continued for a few heated seconds until I pulled away, noticing movement in the front. She smiled at me.

"Been waiting weeks to do that..." she whispered.

I smiled at her.

"Lemme go see what's going on up front with Kenny," I said.

She nodded, but kissed me one more time before I got to my feet.

"This isn't over big guy," she said with a wink.

I turned back to her and smiled.

"Count on it,"


	2. Provisionary

**(A/N): I intended for this thing to be only one part, but you guys seem to like it so I'll give it a second part. If you guys think I should continue this, I'll give it a part three after this one. This was gonna be a one shot but I guess I'm having a lot of fun with this so I'll keep it going a little. I'll probably just wrap up to the point where they leave the house in town or something. Don't really intend on writing an alternate ending to the story or anything, just a story that has a lot more Carley in it!  
**

 **By the way, do let me know if you guys would be interested in doing a season esque type of thing here. If you're interested in the project, go ahead and shoot me a message. To start with, I'd say we get a cast similar in size to the cast in Season One and then we work from there. I've already got a storyline worked out in my head, so all we need are some characters to give it personality.**

 **Anyway, let's get back to it.**

* * *

 _ **Provisionary Reactions**_

 _ **...**_

"We got something up ahead," said Kenny.

I held onto the railing above me as Kenny slowly brought the RV to a stop.

"Now we gotta deal with this..." he sighed.

He got to his feet, as did Ben as they made their way outside. From what I could tell, Katjaa was still asleep.

"Gimme a second Ken, I'm gonna see if Carley's feeling better," I said.

He turned back to me and smiled.

"No problem man," he replied.

My eyes then hovered over Carley's sleeping form. She probably didn't sleep very well through the night because she was still tired. I approached her once everyone exited the RV, save Clementine who was also asleep and slowly nudged her awake. She stirred, yawning softly before rubbing her right eye.

"What's going on?" asked Carley.

I shook my head slowly and sighed.

"There's a train blocking the way...we've gotta figure out a way to move it," I replied.

Carley got to her feet and nodded.

"Let's figure it out," she said.

I notice how red her eyes were and I shook my head firmly.

"You need to get some rest...stay in the RV until I come back with the others?" I asked.  
"But...it could be dangerous," she retorted.

I shook my head again.

"You're still very tired...we need you at your best with that gun of yours because you're still our best shot, so just get some rest okay? I'll come back in an hour and then we can handle things accordingly," I explained.

She looked very reluctant to let me go out there...and her eyes showed how conflicted she was with my plan of action.

"I'll be careful, you know that," I assured.

With a deep sigh, she conceded before handing me her gun.

"There's a full magazine in my purse, take it with you," she said.

I nodded but before I could walk out of the RV, she grabbed my hand. I turned back, only for her to pull me down to her so that her mouth was at my ear.

"If that train still works, maybe we can get more privacy instead of the back of this thing huh?" she whispered.

I snickered to myself for a moment before shrugging.

"Let's just hope it still works...it'll be a **hell** of a lot faster in that compared to the RV," I said.

She gave me a kiss on the cheek before letting me go, turning her back and going back to sleep. I wanted to kiss her, but I knew we had to get the train moving before we had any real cause to celebrate. Judging from how derelict it looked, we could be here for a little while.

* * *

I exited the RV and joined the others, who were approaching the train.

"Is there any way to get around it?" I asked.

Kenny shook his head.

"Doesn't look like it. On foot maybe. Can't really afford to do that now," he replied.

I looked around at the area, noticing how thick the vegetation was.

"This looks like a safe area. All this brush will stop anything from creeping up on us," I mused.

Kenny nodded in agreement.

"We'll check in on Clem and Carley every now and again because this could take a while...how's she doing Lee?" he asked.  
"She looks very tired...eyes red and everything," I replied.  
"Can't imagine anyone sleeping comfortably when someone you thought was a friend tried to kill you," interjected Ben.

I nodded in agreement as I heard the RV door open. I turned to see that Clementine had woken up and had now come outside. Katjaa had also awakened and was carrying Duck over to a fallen tree to sit on. Kenny had taken a seat as well, clearly tired from the all night driving. Ben approached me.

"Why don't you and I go look around?" he asked.

I shrugged before turning back to look at the others.

"Yeah, everyone else relax." I said as I looked down at Clem.

I crouched down as she walked up to me.

"Clem, stay close to Ken and Kat okay?" I asked.

The girl nodded and turned to join them but I touched her shoulder, causing her to turn back.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

My thoughts lingered on Carley, who didn't come out of the RV.

"Could you do me a favor and check on Carley every now and again?" he asked.  
"So you talked to her!" she whispered excitedly.

I rolled my eyes and smiled.

"She's really tired...probably didn't sleep too good considering what happened yesterday," I said.

She nodded with a smile of her own.

"I'll keep an eye on her!" she cheered.

I gently patted her on the head.

"Thanks sweet pea," I said.

I got back to my feet and looked at Ben.

"Lee, if you come across anything to drink, if there's a dining car or something, I think Duck's a bit dehydrated," said Katjaa.  
"It's a freighter hon..." sighed Kenny.

He then looked at me and nodded.

"Be careful in there," he said.

I rolled my eyes and began to make my way towards the train.

"What, you think there might be something dangerous inside of an abandoned locomotive? Hadn't crossed my mind..." I sighed.

I approached one of the cars before climbing up the ladder and entering it through the boxcar door. I noticed that it looked like someone was living here; there was a mattress on the floor along with scattered items. A few discarded boxes, some leftover snack wrappers, a few bottles...this looked pretty recent. As if someone was already here but may have just gone out for a little while. The sidecar door opened as Ben got into the car with me.

"Whoa," he exclaimed.  
"Somebody's been livin' in here," I said.  
"Yeah man...shit, think they're gone?" he asked.  
"I hope so, but this looks recently used. Be on the look-out and have your guard up," I instructed.

Ben nodded at me before getting out of the car. I looked around and noticed two bottles of water. I lifted one and much to my pleasure, it was full. The second one was about half way filled. I took them both before examining a clipboard. It looked like some kind of map. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that it was a map of the train tracks. I took it with me before getting out of the car. I returned to Katjaa and handed her the half-filled bottle of water.

"Here, found some water," I said.

She gratefully accepted it from me.

"Ah, thank you. Perfect." she said with a smile.

She placed it down next to her before looking back at me.

"He's allergic to bees," she said.  
"Is that right?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

Her face went from relieved to slightly disheartened.

"It's all I keep thinking about. Like somehow it matters." she said.

I sighed softly.

"It doesn't," I said firmly.

As cold as it was for me to say that, I knew that we had to be realistic when it came to this because sooner or later, Duck would have to be dealt with and the sooner she was alright with the idea, the better.

"I know...well, I don't. But you're probably right." she sighed.

I got to my feet before turning back to the RV.

 _"Better make sure she's alright...but I better get back to looking at the train and not waste any time,"_

I made my way over to Clem, who looked happy to see that I was unharmed when I entered the train.

"Hey sweet pea...could you do me a favor?" I asked.  
"Sure Lee!" she replied with enthusiasm.

I handed her the other bottle of water.

"You can have some if you're thirsty, but could you give whatever you don't have to Carley? I'm sure she needs some right about now," I asked.

Clementine shook her head and took the bottle from me.

"I'm not thirsty, she can have all of it!" she replied.

I smiled and patted her head again.

"Thanks sweet pea," I said.

Clementine got to her feet and hurried into the RV. Feeling more relieved that Carley would feel better after a drink, I made my way back to the train, looking at the front in the hopes of seeing if there was something we could do about getting it running. I reached the door, but noticed that there was a body in the chair where the conductor would ordinarily sit. I noticed Ben come up behind me and I raised a hand.

"We got one. Walker, sitting in the chair. We got 'im" I said.

I took out Carley's pistol before opening the door. I then took aim for the back of his head and continued edging forward...until the body slumped onto the controls. Didn't look alive at all. I turned to Ben, who looked just as puzzled.

"Suppose we oughta look him over," I said.

I dragged the body out of the chair before dropping it to the floor. The man was clearly the previous conductor of the train...who had his head smashed violently against the glass. He must've stopped the train suddenly and didn't prepare himself for the collision. Judging from all the damage to his brain, not to mention the blood and gore that was on the glass, he probably didn't come back as a Walker.

"...I don't think this guy came back," mused Ben.

My eyes then took notice to a flashing light.

"That light is blinking," I said.  
"Push it!" said Ben.  
"Why?" I replied.  
"Why not?" retorted Ben.  
"Are you fucking serious?" I snapped at Ben.  
"Here. Look." he said.

He immediately pressed the button, causing the train to spring to life. Evidently however, the brakes were locked up.

"It's just the brakes," said Ben.

Even though what he did could've gone a million different ways in my head, I sighed and smiled.

"Okay, I'll give you that one," I said.

Kenny suddenly appeared in the car.

"This fucker WORKS?" he said in disbelief.

I folded my arms and shrugged.

"Seems like it," I replied.

Kenny then quickly took a seat where the dead man had just been.

"I'll be damned. How the hell do we get it movin'?"  
"Why don't we ask Mister Amtrak over here," I said looking at Ben.

He had turned away from us and was now dragging the body out of the car.

"No clue," said Ben.

I suddenly remembered the map I found in the car earlier and I handed it to Kenny.

"We found this in the boxcar back there," I said.  
"Whoa. Is this what it looks like?" he asked.

I smiled at his now more hopeful voice.

"Looks like it," I replied.

He examined the map and began to look over the controls.

"This hoss will take us right to Savannah. A hundred tons of steel. Put a thousand walkers between us and the ocean and we don't have to give a shit!" cheered Kenny.

He let out a heavy breath.

"...I can't believe it," he gasped.

I nodded in agreement.

"We just have to figure out how to get it started," I said.  
"I'm sure we can figure it out. How tough can it be?" replied Kenny.  
"No idea. But we'll find out," I said with a smile.  
"That's the spirit," said Kenny.

Ben came back into the car.

"Ben, if you could keep an eye on the girls and Duck, I'd appreciate it. I'm going to make sense of these controls," asked Kenny.

Ben nodded before making his way back to the others.

"Man...this could be exactly what we need," said Kenny.

I looked around for a little while until I came across a notepad.

 _"Starter Instructions...this is it!"_

I then looked below the heading...to see that the page was missing. I cursed under my breath.

 _"I can still see the indentations though...maybe I can find a pencil or something to shade it all in so I can read it,"_

My thoughts then shifted back to the others. It's been a while since we had something to eat...Kenny and Katjaa would never allow Clem and Duck to eat after them and Carley was probably the one who was in the worst condition...apart from Duck of course.

 _"Let's see if we can find something around here..."_

I left Kenny to his devices and climbed down the ladder...only to have my spirit try to leave my body when a Walker suddenly groaned loudly. I looked to see that it was trapped in the car, the seatbelt keeping it pinned down. I took a quick look around the car and much to my astonishment, I noticed a bag full of what appeared to be snacks. A box of animal crackers was on the floor and from what I could tell at this angle, there was more of them in the bag. Before I could reach for it safely however...I had to deal with the Walker. I examined the rest of the car before opening the door. Not wanting to waste any ammo, I gave the door a solid slam and smiled.

"This door 's gonna hurt," I said to myself.

I then reached for the seatbelt buckle and quickly pressed it before retreating back to the safety of the door. Once the Walker got close enough, I slammed the door violently into its head. The first hit wasn't enough so I immediately did it again, causing its head to collapse and smash inwards. Once I was done, it was only a pile of gore and smashed brains. Satisfied, I reached into the back and pulled out the sack. I whistled softly.

 _"It's a little heavy...guess I hit paydirt here,"_

I carried the sack towards Katjaa and smiled as I handed her a box of crackers.

"Here, I found these...if Duck's up for it," I said.

She accepted it with a grateful smile.

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful." she said.

She took a breath before looking up at me.

"He's not fussy you know?" she asked.  
"What?" I replied.

I honestly didn't pay attention to the fact that she was talking to me until I realized her eyes were focused on mine.

"Most kids, they're really fussy about what they'll eat. Hate vegetables. That kind of thing," she said.

Feeling a little happiness coming my way now that she was more talkative than before, I smiled at her.

"Not Duck huh?" I asked.  
"No, the most trouble I ever have is making him use a fork," she replied.

She looked back at the crackers again before she noticed the sack I placed down next to me.

"Going to share those with the others?" she asked.  
"Yeah...just thought Duck should get the first one is all," I replied.

Katjaa nodded.

"Thank you Lee," she said.  
"No problem," I replied.

I got to my feet before carrying the sack over to Clementine and handing her a box.

"You hungry sweet pea?" I asked.  
"A little...Carley was still asleep so I left the bottle on the seat," she said.

I smiled and nodded gratefully.

"Thanks, I'll go check on her, go ahead and hang onto the sack in case Ben and Kenny need some too, I'll be right back," I said.  
"Okay!" she replied with a smile.

She was clearly in much higher spirits now that we had some food to work with. The train coming to life earlier probably gave her a lot of hope as well. I reached into the sack and pulled out two boxes, noting that there was five left in it as I made my way back to the RV. Just as Clementine said, Carley was laying on the chair but was not sleeping. She was barely awake though.

"Still feeling tired I take it?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"...I've been trying to forget what happened yesterday but I just can't..." she replied.

I sat next to her before handing her a box of animal crackers and handing the water bottle to her.

"You should eat something," I said.

She slowly nodded and began to dig in.

"...I've seen some crazy shit since the start of this whole thing...but that was the first time someone I considered a friend tried to kill me," she said.  
"Paranoia makes people do horrible things...but you're still here," I said.

Carley nodded slowly before taking the bottle from me and having a big gulp. She sighed softly in relief; clearly the crackers and water took some of the edge off.

"Thanks Lee," she said.  
"No problem," I replied with a smile.

I quickly finished my box of crackers until she handed me the bottle.

"You should have some too," she said.

I accepted it and took a gulp of my own before handing it back to her.

"I'm good, you need it more than I do," I replied.

She blushed slightly and finished the bottle before placing all of the garbage in a small bin at her feet.

"So what's the situation with the train?" she asked.  
"It's working...we just gotta figure out how to start it," I replied.

She put a hand to her chin.

"Well, I don't know the first thing about trains...did you find a manual or something?" she asked.

I shook my head but then suddenly remembered the notepad I saw next to Kenny.

"I saw a notepad that contained instructions...but the page got torn out," I said.

Carley cursed under her breath.

"If I had a pencil or something...maybe I could shade over the indentations enough to be able to read it," I said.

Carley pointed towards the dashboard.

"I saw a pencil up there when I got on the RV last night," she said.

I looked up to see that she was indeed right. I grabbed it and smiled before rejoining her.

"Good catch...now here's hoping we can get that train started," I said.

Carley looked down at the floor.

"Lee...there's something I want to talk to you about," she said.

I nodded solemnly.

"What's on your mind?" I asked.  
"It's...about Savannah...do you have any plans once we get there?" she asked.  
"First thing I'm gonna do is try and find Clem's parents, after that I guess we try to find a boat like Kenny's been saying before," I replied.

Carley nodded slowly.

"Do you think she's ready for what may be coming there?" she asked.

I paused for a moment before shaking my head.

"Maybe on the way there, we could teach her how to defend herself. Teach her how to use a gun and maybe, we could trim her hair down a little bit so that she doesn't get grabbed as easily," said Carley.

I nodded in agreement.

"Good plan," I replied.

She smiled before placing a hand on mine.

"...Maybe a little later tonight...we can have a talk? Just the two of us?" she asked.

I nodded once more.

"Let me know when and I'll be there," I replied.

She leaned up and kissed my cheek Though it was a bit evil of me, I snickered.

"Shorty," I teased.  
"I'm not small!" she whined.

I laughed softly before I kissed her forehead.

"Let's see if we can get this thing up and running shall we?"


	3. Parental

**(A/N): Warms my heart to see you guys enjoying this little idea I had. I'll try to keep going as much as I can until the end of the season. And for those of you who are wondering:  
**

 **I'm writing this story under the pretense that the player chose to go with the _Nice Guy Lee_ style of play. This means that Lee is on good terms with every person in the group, especially Clementine and Kenny. Sorry to all you cold-hearted Lee players out there.**

 **Also, in order to add some CarLee goodness, I felt it necessary to make some alterations to the episode's conditions. I'll note them below so you guys can keep track of the differences to the canon story. Even though these changes are here, I'll do my absolute best to keep the scenes largely the same, except with a few revamps due to Carley's presence:**

 _1) There's now an additional car, allowing everyone to sleep and talk in relative privacy. This car contains a pair of mattresses, two sleeping bags and a few bottles of alcohol._

 _2) The train doesn't move as fast, citing something being up with the engine. This was done in order to allow one night to pass on board the train which means they arrive to Omid and Christa after one night of driving instead of in the afternoon of the same day. In addition to this, Duck's infection was slowed down enough to allow the training scene with Clementine and Lee to occur first._

 _3) Allowed Lee to take the map the first time he saw it in the pocket, instead of having to make Kenny go get a drink to get by him (thought that was just plain stupid as well). This means that the conversation with Chuck about a drink, as well as the conversation between Chuck and Kenny have been cut altogether. Ben's conversations have also been cut from this order._

 **I'm also going to leave an additional author's note at the end; it's an announcement calling all you Walking Dead fans to action.**

 **Anyway, I've spoken enough. Let's get back to it!**

* * *

 _ **Parental Reactions**_

 **...**

"Hey sweet pea," I said.

I crouched down next to Clementine, who looked happy to see me.

"That candy Chuck gave you...it taste okay?" I asked.  
"It was really good," she replied with a smile.  
"No funny aftertaste?" I asked again.  
"No." replied Clementine, in a suspicious tone.

Satisfied that Chuck didn't give her something that could give her a stomachache, I turned to the train.

"Train's cool huh?" I mused.

She looked down at the floor for a moment before looking back at me with a slightly disheartened face.

"I guess...scary kind of," she replied.

She then looked back at the RV before turning back to me.

"Is Carley okay?" she asked.  
"Yeah, she slept enough so she'll be on her feet when we're ready to head out," I replied.

She smiled again.

"I'm glad you found the food for everyone," she said.

I nodded in agreement.

"Think we all could've used something to take the edge off so I'm glad too," I mused.  
"I'm really glad that you saved her...she's so nice," said Clementine.

I laughed softly and scratched the back of my head.

"Chuck hasn't met her yet though so I guess that comes next once we're ready to leave," I said.  
"She'll like him I think," she continued.

I nodded before getting to my feet and looking at Katjaa, who was still holding Duck close to her. I honestly don't think she's put down Duck ever since she first got into the RV...but that's a dedicated mother for you. I approached her and crouched down.

"How's Duck?" I asked.

Katjaa looked down at her son. He was practically soulless, his head forever looking straight down towards the ground with his eyes narrowed and his skin getting paler.

"I don't know. Tired. Which could mean a lot of things right?" she asked.

Not wanting her to lose hope, I mustered a different response apart from my usual realistic one.

"Yeah. His body is probably fightin' whatever's in it," I replied.

She paused for a brief moment before nodding.

"Exactly," she said.

For some reason, I felt my mind begin to hover over Lilly. Even though she ultimately didn't cause any harm, I couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving her behind. Despite all of what she's done, she really did have the group's interests at heart, while Kenny was more centered on the kids and his own family. Lilly had some good points and some of her outlook was actually in some ways better than Kenny's, but for the most part...her execution was just wrong.

"Would you have left Lilly back there? On the side of the road like that..." I asked.

She thought about her answer for around a second before nodding.

"Yes Lee." she replied.  
"Yeah?" I asked.

I honestly didn't expect that answer coming out of her; she was always the most compassionate person of the group and the last thing I would've expected to her from here is no talk of redemption.

"We have to have lines. Yes I would've left her." she continued.

My mind now began to think about her. For her to want to leave Lilly behind must mean that she thought the attempt at murder was beyond the point of redemption. Once Lilly raised that gun at Carley, there was no going back for her.

"Okay then," I said.

Satisfied that I wasn't the only one who would've left her, my thoughts went back to Clementine.

"Has Clementine said anything to you about Carley...or Duck? Or anything? I'm worried about her," I said.

Considering all of what's happened, I expected her to be gaining strength...but she witnessed someone she believed to be her friend attempt to kill one of our own, not to mention the fact that Duck was bitten by a walker. Pretty soon, she would be the only child in the group and even though I knew she found Duck to be a little annoying at times, she was still his friend.

"No. That little girl is a puzzle." said Katjaa.

I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. She is." I agreed.

She sighed softly.

"I can't imagine what's going through Carley's head right now...god, where did yesterday go?" she said.

For once, I didn't have anything to retort with.

"...I don't know," I replied.

She then looked at me intently.

"Are you okay? It must've been scary having the thought of losing her like that," she said.

I shook my head absent-mindedly, my thoughts now on Carley. She stayed in the RV for the entirety of this episode with the train. She was probably having nightmares in there for all I knew but she still managed to keep a smile on her face whenever she was around me. She was really proving to be one of the strongest of us with every day that passes.

"Yeah. It was terrifying." I replied.  
"I know you're quite fond of her...and her you," she inferred.

I blushed internally and nodded.

"Guess she's rubbed off on me a bit," I said.

Katjaa offered me a smile.

"Keep her close Lee...you don't find people that kind-hearted very often, especially not when the world is the way it is now," she said.

I nodded in agreement.

"Will do. Let me know if anything changes here." I said.

Katjaa nodded before looking back down at her son. I then looked around at everyone. Chuck was still playing his guitar while Ben was still moping about not getting to drive the train. Kenny continued to examine the train at the point where I freed it from the attached wreckage. We were pretty lucky to have two cars connected to the head, which would give us some space to get some rest if we needed it. As long as we slept in shifts, we would be alright in sharing the beddings we had available. The whiskey and vodka we found in there would probably help some of us actually reach sleep, or at least take some of the edge off. The crackers probably wouldn't last long once we get moving, so one of the first things we needed to do was find more food for everyone; I couldn't bear the thought of Clem getting too hungry...

* * *

I made my way to the RV to wake up Carley; it was time to leave. I entered the RV...to see Carley without a shirt. She had taken off her jacket and white button up shirt and was only wearing her jeans, some socks and a white bra. Not wanting to make it look like I was silently staring, I coughed softly to get her attention. She turned back and immediately made a futile effort to cover herself.

"I didn't know you were there!" she gasped.  
"Sorry. Didn't mean to barge in like that." I replied.

I looked away and waited for her to clothe herself. Once she put her shirt on, she cleared her throat.

"So is everything up and running?" she asked.

I nodded with a smile.

"Train's good to go. There's two cars attached so there's space to get some sleep...we'd better take anything we can use off the RV into there," I explained.

She smiled at me before pointing down to the floor. I looked to see three bags, full to the brim.

"Found some clean clothes along with all the food I could find in here...among other things we could use," she explained.  
"Always ready for something aren't you?" I asked rolling my eyes.

She winked at me before zipping her jacket up.

"Since we don't have a shower...I had to use some disinfecting wipes to clean myself," she said.  
"Let's hope we can find somewhere with a shower when we get to Savannah then," I said.

She nodded in agreement before approaching me.

"How's Duck doing?" she asked.

I sighed before shaking my head.

"Not looking too good...he's getting paler by the second," I replied.  
"Kenny knows what he's going to have to do at some point right?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"He's being very stubborn about it but I guess I can't blame him; he's a dad after all," I replied.

She shook her head before picking up one of the bags along with her purse.

"Thanks for letting me stay inside today...needed that rest," she said.  
"No problem," I replied.

She kissed my cheek before motioning to go outside.

"Next stop, Savannah!"

* * *

"Hey Clem,"  
"Hi Carley!"

I smiled as I leaned against the entrance to the train car. Satisfied that Clem would be entertained for a while, in addition to his words being expelled from her mind, I went outside to give him a piece of my mind. He was leaning on the railing at the front of the car while Ben was nowhere to be found, most likely still moping on the connection bridge between the front and middle cars. He turned to me upon noticing my presence. I folded my arms, clearly not amused at what he told Clem a few minutes ago, especially without me knowing. Though Clem begged me to not be angry with him, I couldn't help but feel enraged that he was driving home something so pessimistic.

"Hey!" I said.

Chuck turned his head back to me and nodded.

"How you doin'?" he replied.

He was speaking casually...as if what he just told Clementine wasn't supposed to have any kind of adverse effect.

"I don't care what reasons you had for doing it, no reason to go and tell my girl she's gonna end up dead!" I scolded.

He paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"'Cause she is," he retorted.

I paused for a moment, noticing how serious he face became from the very relaxed one he had a few moments ago.

"I don't know much about you folks, but I can tell you as the sun gon' come up tomorrow that ya'll keep going on like this and that girl ain't gonna make it," he said.

I felt a little sting from his words...but I was adamant on my position of him having no right to tell her what he did.

"What do you know?" I snapped.  
"I know that you don't have a goddamn plan. We get to Savannah and then what?" he asked.

He caught me at a loss there because I honestly didn't have an idea of what we were truly going to do once we arrived. My first intention was to help her find her parents...but at the same time, if Macon was already that far gone, I couldn't imagine Savannah being much better, if at all. Another plan was what I was going to talk over with Carley and Clem a bit later today but right now, I truly didn't have one. Kenny always kept talking about a boat and how we'd be safe on the water...but then what happens if we run out of food or gas? What if someone gets sick? What if the engine stops functioning? A lot of things had to be taken into account and now I truly began to consider it all. Not wanting to keep Chuck waiting, I fashioned a half-hearted answer.

"We do what's best for Clementine," I replied.

Chuck rolled his eyes, clearly not liking my answer.

"Oh! Well then! You do have it all figured out! Nevermind." he said sarcastically.

He cleared his throat.

"Look, sit down with the girl and hash it out. Find a map for Christ's sake...I'd give you one if I had it," he began.

He took a breath before looking at me intently.

"And if something were to happen to you..." he began.  
"It won't," I instinctively interjected.

Clearly a little annoyed with my retort, he shook his head and continued.

"If it WERE, you gotta prepare the girl. Teach her how to use a weapon and for criminy, cut that hair." he ordered.

What he was saying sounded like absolutely madness.

"Like a gun? Are you kidding me?" I said in disbelief.  
"What? She's too young to handle one? There ain't no too young, not anymore," he mused.

He wiped his nose with his hand before looking back at me.

"You gotta consider her a living person. That's it. You're either living or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy...you ain't strong, you ain't smart. You're **alive**." he explained.

More and more his words began to hit home and I immediately began to think of how to discuss this with Carley.

"Look at her hair. Find some scissors in my pack and take care of that hair before a walker does it for you. And show her how to use a gun because like it or not, it's what saves your life from here on out," he said.

He sighed softly and gave me a slightly apologetic look.

"I don't mean to tell ya how to do your job, but too many people have died already..." he mused.  
"They have," I replied with a nod.  
"And seein' another little girl die might just do me in," he said.

Now fully understanding his point of view, I nodded firmly.

"I hear you. A plan, a haircut and a gun. It's good advice." I agreed.  
"It's something," he retorted half-heartedly.

After having already spoken to him and understanding just where he came from and somewhat having an idea of the lifestyle he lived before, I nodded to him.

"Be safe up here," I said.  
"You betcha," replied Chuck.

I took my leave, making my way past Kenny and Ben before re-entering the boxcar with Clementine. Carley wasn't in there anymore. I looked at Chuck's pack and opened it to find the scissors he was talking about.

 _"Looks clean enough..."_

I placed it in my belt before looking at Clementine. Right now, teaching her a few things took priority. Knowing that Carley wanted to help with it, I entered the next boxcar to find her sitting down, reading a book. I cleared my throat to get her attention. She placed a bookmarker on the page she was at before shutting it and getting to her feet.

"How'd it go with Clem?" I asked.  
"She's a really sharp girl, understood just about everything I said to her," she replied.

I sighed deeply.

"I feel like I haven't been doing enough as far as she's concerned," I mumbled.

Carley shook her head.

"If there's one thing you've managed to do, it's keep her safe despite all of the shit that's happened," she said firmly.

I nodded slowly before looking out of the open boxcar door.

"The train's not moving very quickly so we've got about a night left of a trip before we arrive," I said.  
"Guessing there's something up with the engine?" she asked.  
"It wasn't in good condition, so we're gonna have to drive the train in shifts...thankfully, Kenny taught Ben how to do it so he can at least get some sleep himself," I explained.

Carley nodded slowly.

"He needs to think about what to do with Duck, considering how much worse he's getting..." she sighed.

I nodded in agreement.

"As much as I want to be concerned for Kenny right now, I had a word with Chuck and he had some very good...yet harsh points to say," I said.

She shook her head.

"It was largely the same thing I had in mind, only that he told Clem the facts," she said.

I sighed softly and nodded.

"An eight year old girl shouldn't have to do something like this..." I mumbled.  
"Yeah, but if she knows how to defend herself, at least we won't have to worry as much about her if we ever get separated," she replied.

I looked to the door and pulled out the map I took earlier.

"Got some scissors, found this in the conductor's space and I'm sure between the two of us, she can learn how to handle a gun...you ready?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded.

"After you hot shot," she said with a wink.

After taking a breath, I opened the door to see Clementine, sitting with her legs hanging out the boxcar. Clearly, she looked distraught. I approached her and offered her a smile.

"Hey Clem," I said.  
"Did you talk to him?" she asked.

I took a seat next to her, glancing momentarily at Carley who was leaning by the door. She gave me an encouraging nod as I turned back to Clem.

"I did. He had some uh...he explained himself and made some good points," I replied.

She looked at me, with deep interest.

"Look, we're not gonna let anything bad happen to you. But there are some precautions we have to take." I explained.

The girl nodded, now seeming a lot less saddened.

"Okay. Yeah. That makes sense." she said.  
"Don't worry sweetheart." I assured.  
"Okay. So what should we do?" she asked.

I took a breath and shrugged.

"Well, we're gonna figure out a plan for when we get to Savannah, teach you how to protect yourself and uh, tidy you up a little so you don't get grabbed so easily." I explained.

New hope came into the girl's eyes as she nodded excitedly.

"I'd like that!" she replied enthusiastically.  
"Good." I said.

I turned back to Carley before nodding. She stepped forward as I got to my feet and walked around to Clem's right side.

"You need to know how to protect yourself." I said.

She got to her feet and looked up at me, curiously.

"Like hiding or running away, got it." she said confidently.

I shook my head before pulling the gun from my waist behind me.

"I mean with one of these." I explained.

She looked a little scared upon seeing the weapon in my hand.

"First, don't be afraid of it. It's just a thing. Take it." I instructed.

She reached to touch the weapon but I remembered I needed to prime it. I lifted the pistol before cocking it.

"But remember where your finger is all the time. And don't put it on the trigger unless you wanna hurt somebody." I explained.

After priming it properly, I handed it to her with the butt of the pistol facing her. She took it with both hands, nodding slowly.

"Okay. Okay..." she breathed.  
"See? It's not scary." I said.  
"It's heavy!" she said with clear discomfort.  
"You'll get stronger. Just look at Carley over there." I said with a smile.

Clementine seemed a lot more at ease knowing that Carley was in here observing her. She approached us before taking a seat against the boxcar wall. I expected her to have interrupted by now, but I guess I was doing an okay job as a teacher. Then again, if I was terrible at it...maybe I shouldn't have become one in the first place.

"To aim, you look right down the top, through that notch." I explained.

She turned her back to me, lifting the weapon to shoulder level. I corrected her stance.

"Line up the sight at the end with your target." I continued.

She looked a bit alarmed now as she began to realize that I expected her to give it a try a few times.

"Is there anything else I should know?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I know these are just bottles, but you have to aim for the head." I said.  
"I know. Only for the head." she replied.  
"And don't forget to breath steadily when taking a shot; it helps with accuracy," interjected Carley.

I smiled.

"You know how good of a shot Carley is so you should remember anything she tells you too okay?" I said.

Clementine nodded with a smile.

"So...I should always aim for the head no matter what?" she asked.  
"Unless it's not a walker and it's someone trying to hurt you." I replied.  
"And then?" she asked again.  
"Head, or body. Anywhere." I said.  
"I don't wanna think about that." she said with a deep sigh.

I nodded sympathetically; it was a lot for her to take in considering she was only eight years old.

"You're right. It might be a lot for your first day. You ready?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready." she said.

Carley immediately got to her feet before placing a bottle on top of the box and moving out of the way. I bent down and watched as Clementine held the gun up straight.

"Good. Don't lock your elbows." I said as I gently adjusted her arms.

She took a breath, trying to calm down. She was clearly scared of the act, but I had to ensure that she got used to this. I then covered her ears, but left enough space for her to hear my words.

"Okay, let's take your first shot. Squeeze the trigger smoothly and I'll cover your ears. Nice and easy." I instructed.  
"Nice and easy." she whispered.

She fired the weapon, missing just a little to the left of the bottle. In the same moment she fired, she squealed loudly. Carley laughed softly.

"You okay?" I asked.  
"My hands hurt. I don't like this." she whined.

I knew I had to be a little firm with her if she was going to sit and learn how to do this properly.

"Let's stick with it okay?" I asked.  
"Do I have to?" she sighed.  
"You weren't too far off Clem, try aiming a little bit to the right this time," said Carley.

She turned back to look at Carley, who had a very encouraging smile on her face. She nodded as she turned back to face the bottle, once again raising the gun. I repeated the same action, covering her ears as she took aim. After a few seconds, I noticed how well she lined the shot up.

"Close. Now keep it steady..." I assured.

She pulled the trigger and much to my amazement, she hit the bottle, shattering it into shards of glass. She turned around and smiled excitedly.

"I got it!" she cheered.  
"Excellent. Good shot!" I praised.

Carley immediately moved forward and set up another bottle before stepping behind us.

"You're a fast learner," she complimented.

Clementine smiled as she turned back to the bottle, once again allowing me to cover her ears. She took a few seconds to aim and fired, this time aiming too low and too far to the right. I smiled.

"Okay. Aim a little bit more to the left." I said.

She adjusted the weapon accordingly but made no move to fire.

"Okay. A little higher." I continued.

She lined it up once again with the bottle and fired, once again hitting it cleanly.

"There you go. Nice!" I cheered.  
"Not bad Clem, you're learning a hell of lot faster than I did," cheered Carley.

She made her way over to the box and placed one more bottle on top before coming back behind the two of us again. I covered Clem's ears once more, this time leaving the shot entirely up to her own judgement. She took a couple seconds to aim but much to my surprise, she hit the bottle without any need to adjust herself.

"I did it!" she cheered.  
"Yeah you did! Good job!" I praised.  
"We've got a natural here," laughed Carley proudly.  
"I just pretended they were walker heads." explained Clementine.  
"Good. Just like you should." I said with a proud nod.  
"They're not walkers though." she said as a matter-of-factly.

I nodded in agreement.

"No, far from it. But you know how these things work now. We'll graduate you to walkers one day." I said.  
"Okay. I feel good!" she replied with a smile.  
"Not scary huh?" I asked.  
"Nuh-uh!" she said.

She handed me the pistol as I then removed the scissors from my pants.

"Now...it's time for the tidying up part," I said.

I crouched down to look her in the eyes.

"So...you're probably not going to like this," I said.  
"Oh no...is something wrong?" she asked.  
"Nothing. We have to talk about your hair. It's not safe." I explained.  
"That's not nice!" she gasped.

I raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I retorted.  
"Are you saying it smells?" she asked.  
"No," I replied with a soft laugh.

Carley started laughing as well as Clementine raised her eyebrow.

"Because it does...kinda," she sighed.

Getting back to the practicality, I thought back to a good example of how it really did get her into trouble.

"Do you remember when Andy St. John grabbed it? And I got mad?" I explained.  
"Yeah." she replied.  
"Well that could happen again. And if it's a walker, well...we have to trim it." I said showing her the scissors.

She looked saddened at my words.

"...Just a trim right?" she asked.  
"I need to cut it short enough so it can't get grabbed," I replied.

She sighed deeply and shook her head.

"Okay..." she groaned.  
"Mind if we do this now?" I asked.  
"I guess not." she replied.

Her face grew even sadder.

"Don't mope. It's a good thing." I assured.

She got down on her knees and removed her cap as I took a seat behind her.

"Do you know how to do this?" she asked.

Knowing full well that I had no idea what I was doing, I tried to lie.

"Yeah of course!" I replied.  
"I don't believe you." she mumbled.

Pausing for a moment and stifling a laugh, I cleared my throat.

"Well...good." I said.  
"Good?" she asked.  
"It means you know when someone's lying to you. That's another valuable survival skill." I explained.  
"To be fair Lee, you're a terrible liar." interjected Carley.

I turned back to her to see her childishly stick out her tongue at me. I rolled my eyes as I continued to take some more of Clem's hair off. I turned her heard to the left as I began to work on that side.

"So...you did kill someone before." said Clementine.  
"Yep," I replied.  
"I'm glad you finally told me." she said with what sounded like relief.

I looked back to Carley to see a very proud smile on her face. She was the one who urged me to tell everyone in advance in the first place and now, I was very glad I did. I didn't want to hide anything from anyone here because if we were going to get through this ordeal, we needed complete trust in one another. Though it was a little unsettling to see that Clem was alright with me being a convicted killer and still being her guardian, I was still very glad I told her.

"You've killed lots of things now. It doesn't even matter." she mused.

I shook my head as I turned hers to the right to get at the untouched side.

"Killing's bad no matter what." I said.  
"But you do it now to protect yourself. And to protect me. And Carley." she said.

I turned back to Carley to see her blushing slightly. I shook my head, not liking that she was already beginning to accept killing as a necessary evil.

"It doesn't make it good," I said firmly.  
"...But you have to," she said.  
"I do it because it's necessary. And walkers aren't people." I explained.

Satisfied with all the trimming I did on her hair, I turned to Carley before motioning her to finish the job. She joined me before looking at my work and rolling her eyes. She grabbed the scissors from me before making some minor adjustments.

"There's no reason she can't look cute," growled Carley.

After a few seconds, she was finished.

"Just need something we can use to tie the pieces back," I said.

Clementine reached into her pocket before raising them up to Carley.

"Here! I have some hair thingies!" she said.  
"Where'd you get those?" asked Carley with a soft chuckle.

She took them and began to tie Clem's hair up.

"Lilly gave them to me for sleeping." she replied.

The moment that name entered the air, I could feel Carley's discomfort.

"There, you're all set." said Carley.

Clementine reached back to feel for her hair...but moped upon not feeling the same volume.

"Does it look dumb?" she asked.

I chuckled softly and shook my head.

"No. You look cute and more importantly, a lot harder to grab." I explained.

I handed her the cap and she took it before hesitantly placing it back on her head. Satisfied with everything we did so far, I decided to hold off on making a plan until morning; it was getting pretty late right now.

"We'd better get some sleep...long day tomorrow once we get to Savannah." I said.  
"Yeah...good idea," said Clementine.

Clementine went into the other car as I turned back to Carley.

"...You alright?" I asked.  
"...I'll get over it," she replied.

I approached her before hugging her to my chest.

"If you want to talk about it...we can-"

 **"LEE!"**

My heart nearly jumped out my throat as I turned to the second car. It was Katjaa's voice.

* * *

 **Now for that little announcement I was talking about earlier.**

 **I'm officially opening the stage for anyone who wants to create a character for use in a new story I'm coming up with. Once this one is done or perhaps even during its life, I aim to write a fully original "season" of the Walking Dead. It's going to be episodic much like the games we know and love and even though it takes place in the same universe as the games, it will be based in a different location.**

 **So if you've ever wanted to have a survivor star in a series like this, now's your chance! The stage is open and you can rest assured that it will be that way for a little while. Depending on the survivors you guys come up with (assuming you're interested), I may have to make alterations to the storyline a bit but for the most part, I've got episodes 1-5 planned out in my head from a plot perspective. All we need to do now is add the meat and spice!**

 **Anyway, if you're interested in being a part of this project, go ahead and say so in a review or shoot me a private message. If you have any questions as well, feel free to ask me!**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I'll try to update as soon as I can!**

 **~ Letters**


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